Typically cold wouldn’t fit in this category, but this time may be an exception. A small bundle of cold came through early Monday morning and warded off a major storm for New England.

Maybe you’ve heard of it: over 2 inches of snow in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Cities like Richmond, Virginia, Roanoke and Winston-Salem, North Carolina were at a standstill Sunday as the powerful storm hit. As of this typing, it’s heading out to sea far south of New England.

You’d think this task would be only possible with a mighty blast of arctic chill, but not this time. In fact, our temperatures are about the same as they were on Sunday. What’s important is the way the steering current have reshuffled. That’s ultimately what keeps the storm at bay.

It also prepares us for another dose of cold by midweek. It’s then that highs will struggle to hit freezing in many spots. After that, the pattern relaxes and the cold relents.

A wetter, warmer storm takes aim by the end of the week, and its arrival will mean a complete reverse in temperatures. It’s for that reason that we’re thinking this may be a green (or brown) Christmas for many in Southern New England.